Current telephone systems afford customers the opportunity to use 911 telephone services for emergencies. A central office switch routes dialed 911 calls, together with the calling parties automatic number identification (ANI) to a police department, fire department, or other special emergency service. The providers of such emergency services, namely the police, fire department, etc. are often flooded with calls for other services, such as from power companies in the event of power outages, gas companies, hospitals, governmental agencies, and even television cable companies. The subscribers utilize the 911 numbers for these purposes because they may not have sufficient time to look for these services in telephone directories or to dial directory assistance.
An object of the invention is to improve emergency services.
Another object of the invention is to overcome these difficulties.